This has been a month of waiting, for Christmas parties and Nativity plays, for play dates with friends and cookie making, and for the biggest day of all — Christmas. We heard ourselves say ‘please just wait’ about a million and one times over the past month to our understandably very excited four year old daughter. Patience is certainly a virtue, and anticipation is amazing but also sometime torturous — in the very best way! Waiting isn’t easy at any age and it is an especially big part of childhood. But this beautiful book makes waiting easier. Waiting, written by the talented Kevin Henkes, is a marvellous picture book and has received both the Caldecott Medalist and Geisel Honor Book awards.

Waiting is a soft, pastel book that seems to make you feel more patient just flipping thru the pages of the book. Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. Each animal waits in a child’s room: the owl is waiting for the moon, the pig is waiting for the rain, the bear is waiting for the wind, the puppy is waiting for the snow, and the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to wait! The ending of the story is so sweet, I don’t want to reveal what happens, but it is irresistible.

This is a great read for anyone waiting for birthdays, a new baby sibling to arrive, or any big adventure ahead. We absolutely adore the slow pace, and soft colours of this book — wonderful for rainy days or helpful to pace ourselves during busy seasons. A little calm world so beautiful you will want to enter it again and again thru the pages of this book. A lesson in patience is a great read for all ages! The book is available in the UK and US.

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